Agni

Hindu - The god of fire. One of the 8 Vasus, some say. Son of Kasyapa and Aditi or of Dyaus and Prithivi. Son of Urvashi, some say. Brother of Mara. Husband of Ambi or Agnayi. Father of Agneyi. Father of Subrahmanya by Svaha. In some accounts his father was Brhaspati; others say he was born of the lotus or was kindled from wood by Brighu. Some say that he ate his parents (the two pieces of wood) when he was born. His voracious appetite led him, on one occasion when he was exhausted, to consume the Khandava forest. He is said to appear when two pieces of wood are rubbed together. He is one of the eight Dikpalas, the guardian of the south-eastern quarter of the world with his elephant, Pundarika, and rides either on a goat or in a chariot drawn by parrots or red horses. Some versions have it that his huge appetite was not something that he was born with but was inflicted on him by a curse by Brighu when Agni told a demon that Brighu was the one who had stolen the demon's wife, Puloma. Some regard the reference to his huge appetite as a metaphor for Agni's fireraising propensities. In some accounts he is revered as Trita (lightning) and Surya (sun); the three forms are referred to as Tryambaka. Another version says that he was given eight names at birth - Asani, Bhava, Ishana, Mahadeva, Pashupati, Rudra, Sarva and Ugra. In the morning he is Mitra; in the evening, Varuna; as the light of the sky he is Indra; as he crosses the sky he is Savindra. He is depicted as having two or three heads, seven tongues and four hands (or seven arms) and sometimes with a goat's head, carrying a flaming spear. Also called Agni, Jatavedas, Jatavedas, Agni, Pramanthi, Pramanthi, Pramati, Pramati, Agni, Sarva, Sarva, Agni, Rudra, Rudra, Yavishta, Yavishta, Yavishtu or Yavishtu.